In order to bridge the gap from doped silicon
clusters in the gas phase to cluster-related devices, this project
addresses metal silicide clusters grown on silicon surfaces. Such
structures may act as building blocks for future larger-scale
applications. The clusters will be prepared in ultra-high vacuum (UHV)
by self-organization using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), and their
atomic structure and individual electronic properties will be studied
using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS).
Different cluster structures are expected to form, depending on the
preparation conditions such as substrate orientation, exposure, or
growth and annealing temperature. Special emphasis lies on the atomic
structure within the clusters, a possibly ordered arrangement in one-
or two-dimensional superlattices, and the spatiallyresolved
study of their electronic states. In cooperation Raman experiments are
planned using a mobile UHV transfer, being also used for studies of
cluster and fullerene samples from collaborating projects.